Summer Term Review : Shakespeare, Seaside and Saints

Fresh from a short break after beginning 2014 with a performance
of Mozart’s Requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and
continuing with two days of recording sessions for our third and
latest CD recording, Be Merry!, the summer term presented no fewer
than three major events.

The choir’s fifth major première – British in this case – of a
large-scale choral-orchestral work by a North American composer took
centre stage on 7 June, when the choir were joined by a cast of
superb soloists, musicians from the Northamptonshire Music and
Performing Arts Trust and the Madrigalis chamber choir from
Northampton School for Girls.

Shakespeare in Song

Cap'n Gary sails away with the Second Altos 2014

Steve Dobrogosz grew up in the American south where his training as
a classical pianist paralleled his fascination with popular music.
After moving to Stockholm in 1978 he became an active part of
Scandinavia’s jazz scene as both pianist and composer. The
Gothenburg Post compared his music to Gershwin and Porter, writing
“Dobrogosz’s songs are melodic masterpieces, with a harmonic
sophistication seldom found in music today.”

Our performance of his My Rose: a Shakespeare Oratorio marked the
450th anniversary year of the birth of the Bard. The musical style
of the oratorio, which sets fifteen of Shakespeare’s most evocative
Sonnets, is contemporary fusion; Dobrogosz seamlessly moves between
his basic neo-Romanticism and other styles, including Broadway
musical theatre, Jazz, Blues and – there is even a Hoe-Down. The
audience were clearly delighted by this fascinating work, and we
were very happy to be performing in the Spinney Hill Theatre for
what we hope will not be the last time.

Singing Beside the Seaside 2014

Two days later we were back in rehearsal, preparing sea/lake/river
themed pieces for our summer fundraiser, Beside the Seaside. Next to a
splendid lake in the grounds of Wyndham House, games, drinks and
over 100 portions of fish and chips were served, and a great time
had by all. We are so grateful to Sir Peter and Lady Ellwood for
their hospitality, which raised over £1000 for the Bach Choir and a
considerable amount for the British Red Cross. The choir performed
two slots – one featuring sea shanties sung by a group of tenors and
basses – and another full choir performance including arrangements
of Afton Water, Down by the Riverside and Shenandoah.

Our New Red Folders on Display

Last Night of the Derngate Proms 2014

Less than three weeks later we were back with our second of three
performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014. This was
our third Last Night of the Derngate Proms, and surely our best yet
– certainly the most colourful, not least due to our spanking brand
new red folders. A reviewer of the concert noted our “terrific
performance of Zadok the Priest, full of power, crispness and joy”,
“stirring performance of Polovtsian Dances from Prince
Igor” and that we had kept back as an encore “a fantastic rendition
of When The Saints Go Marching In, with the choir giving it everything
and the orchestra loving every minute of it. A superb way to round off
the evening”. In our final rehearsal before this concert we were
delighted to hold the European Challenge Rugby Cup and the English
Premiership Cup, won by our Rugby team – the Saints – just a few weeks
earlier!

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